05:0./;
to work with me. My apprentices had
to double as nannies. After 15 years,
hairdressing started to lose its appeal
too. I yearned to ‘do art’ once more.
After more than 20 years of absence
from drawing (I had never really
learned to paint) the call to be an artist
grew too strong to resist. I put down
my hair brush and picked up a paint
brush. I surprised myself with my first
few attempts. By some miracle, my
artistic ability had actually improved
somewhat without me practicing. I
guess I grew into it; or something.
I had watched a folk art DVD many
years earlier and thought ‘anyone
could learn to paint by following those
directions’. I did a correspondence
‘folk art’ course with the intention
of starting to teach folk art classes. I
then proceeded to read every book and
magazine and watch every painting
DVD and video I could get my hands
on (relating to folk art) until I felt I
had developed the method I was most
comfortable using for teaching purposes.
I painted loads of flowers, fruit,
vegetables, animals and teddy bears
in acrylics. Many of my hairdressing
clients who saw the paintings were
promising to become students for me.
Eventually I sold my hairdressing
business and opened up my art studio.
When I was ready to start giving
lessons, somehow all the people who
had wanted to learn folk art had left
town or something; and the budding
artists seeking guidance all wanted
to learn landscapes. So I proceeded
to read every book and art magazine
and watch every DVD and video I
could get my hands on relating to
landscapes. Then I started teaching
landscapes in acrylics.
Eventually student demand forced
me to develop skills in other mediums.
People just seemed to assume that
art teachers know all mediums; and
pride would not allow me to admit
otherwise. I kept reading books and
magazines, and watching DVDs and
videos. As I became familiar with each
medium, I added another workshop to
my timetable. Soon I was running more
than 10 workshops each week and
teaching all manner of mediums and